River after this year's flood

Submitted by admin on Mon, 11/03/2008 - 12:34
This year the river again overflowed its banks thanks to a freak coincidence of weather systems that brought massive widespread flooding to the whole region.

We implemented our usual emergency procedures which have served us so well over the last couple of years. No materials or equipment was lost or damaged.

The protection work we carried out in March did well, leaving us with relatively minor works to do in order prepare for the rainy season next year.

 river looking east
River looking East towards the highway
the old retaining wall built five years ago
is now in the middle of the river
river looking west

River looking West towards the bend		 protection wall

Protecting wall below the ceramic workshop
river looking East again

River looking East towards the bridge		 protection wall erosion

View of the erosion beneath the protecting wall past the ceramic workshop

Visit from Katie Rodgers and Nick Ryan

Submitted by admin on Mon, 11/03/2008 - 12:08



Nick Ryan and Kathryn Rodgers visited Superemos in September and were able to visit several of the project activities both in the project centre itself and out in the barrios.

The rest of Nick and Katie's intrepid journey through Latin America can be followed, with photos and commentary at http://nickandkatie.blogtravel.com.

These are some of the photos they took during their stay with us.

 folk dance
Nicaraguan folk dance performed by students
from the local teacher training college
ceramic workshop

Ceramic workshop full of moulds		 making bread

Luisa making bread for sale
in the cooperative shop

Sewing workshop

Submitted by admin on Mon, 11/03/2008 - 11:42
The sewing workshop is currently training three women from communities near San Juan de Rio Coco who study with sewing teacher Lilliam Soza on Saturdays. During the week, Lilliam works mainly with Teresa Sevilla producing items for sale by the cooperative. Katie Rodgers who visited us in September with Nick Ryan took a special interest in the work done by Maria Nidia and her fellow students from San Juan de Rio Coco.
katie with women from San Juan

Katie working with Maria Nidia and other students
from San Juan de Rio Coco		 doña teresa

Doña Teresa works with sewing teacher Lilliam Soza

Plenty to do in the ceramic workshop

Submitted by admin on Wed, 10/22/2008 - 21:45


The ceramic workshop has taken on three extra workers both for training purposes and to help cope with a large Christmas order for over 200 ceramic mobiles.

The recent persistent heavy rains have made life awkward for the ceramic workers because the damp, humid conditions double drying times.

The rains have caused much damage in northern Nicaragua both to crops and to highways. So far the project site has escaped with just slight flooding that lasted only a couple of hours. More photos soon of that.

 mucho trabajo
preparing pieces for ceramic mobiles
katalina moldes

Catalina working with a mould		 platos ceramicos

ornamental plates

Final account of El Limon water system electrification Project

Submitted by admin on Mon, 10/06/2008 - 10:53

We've been slow producing the final account of the costs of the El Limon water system electrification project because I had wanted to put up a photograph to accompany it. But various things have made it hard to get out to El Limon over the last week or so. Here is the final account. I hope to get more photographs of what the project means for people in El Limon shortly.

Special open day fair for local small producer organizations

Submitted by admin on Mon, 09/08/2008 - 17:09
On Sunday September 7th, the Christine King Cooperative took part in a special fair organized by local organizations together with the mayor's office as part of celebrations for this year's army anniversary. The local army battalion made available part of its training ground for over 30 local organizations to exhibit and sell the things they produce. The Christine King Cooperative took part, represented by Katalina Chavarría, Juan Ramon Zambrano and Luisa Duarte. They offered visitors ceramic ware, cushions and other products from the sewing workshop and an exhibition of the cooperative's educational and training programmes. A brilliantly sunny day, following several overcast days of rain, gave a great opportunity for open air dancing and singing.
folk dancing
a colourful display of traditional folk dancing 		exhibition stall
the cooperative's stall at the open day fair
Katalina and Luisa
Katalina and Luisa with some ceramic ware		 Luisa and Juan Ramon
Luisa and Juan Ramón with the training activities exhibition

El Limón - connecting the solar panels

Submitted by admin on Mon, 09/08/2008 - 16:31
Rob Matthews arrived last week to connect the solar panels to the electric pump in the well that supplies El Limon with its water. Here are some photos showing Rob at work with Ismael and Theo. Ismael has coordinated the project for the community and will give us a financial breakdown over the next few days which will put on the website. Everyone involved in the project is very grateful to Rob who gave his time and expertise free in order to help the community in El Limón stay within their budget Rob Matthews
Rob Matthews in El Limón
Dropped something
"it's here somewhere..." - Rob with Ismael		 checking connections
Rob checks connections - Theo helping

El Limon water electrification project - installing solar panels

Submitted by admin on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 17:35
This week the community in El Limon will work with Rob Matthews to connect the solar panel installation to the electric pump in the well that supplies El Limon with its water. This will mean a dramatic cost saving for the people who receive water via this system because they will no longer be dependent on a diesel powered electric generator. We are grateful to the Barr Foundation of Oklahoma,USA, to the family of Fiona Graham in England, to Karen King in Luxembourg and to the Rotary Club of Toronto Leaside in Canada for making this project possible
niñas y niño en El Limon
beneficiaries of the soon to be electrified water system		 changing the angle
the panel will be adjusted manually 4 times a day to track the maximum strength of the sun
flatter angle
here the panel is almost horizontal		 sharper angle
here the panel is at a sharper angle

Visit from the Aid for Nicaragua Association of Japan

Submitted by admin on Fri, 08/29/2008 - 20:14
On August 25th and 26th we received a visit from our dear friends of the Japanese Aid for Nicaragua Association. This year the group consisted of five people. On the evening of the 25th they met with the 70+ women who participate in our adult secondary education scholarship program for women on low incomes. Then on the morning of the 25th the group worked with us in our sewing workshop, helping us assemble a quite complicated knitting machine donated by their association. Makiko and Michiko also worked with the ceramic workshop team. Their colleagues installed a solar panel system their group had donated to the school to serve as a stand-by  should we have a power cut during our night classes. This is part of a training programme the Association is implementing to promote the use of solar power in community projects in Nicaragua. We are very grateful to all the members of the group who contributed both time and resources to come and visit our programmes and especially to Professor Koike for coordinating the visit
Makiko
Makiko with a pot inscribed with her name 		makiko y michiko
Makiko and

Craft skills workshop in Barrio Nuevo Amanecer

Submitted by admin on Fri, 08/15/2008 - 12:09

Proud piñata makers		 Luisa Duarte continues to run craft skills courses for adolescents in barrio Nuevo Amaencer. The classes are held in the SINAI pre-school's new classroom built thanks to Eric London of Boston and the Evanston Congregational Church. Numbers attending the classes vary from 6 or 7 to as many as 20 depending on what else is happening in the community.

Toñita hard at work embroidering
Carmen, Gladys and Edelma help make the piñata
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